


bruised heart

by sarangway



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Light Drama, M/M, Romance, ceo's son donghyuck, delinquent mark lee, light Violence, perfect kid falls for kid who picks fights?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:07:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24054151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarangway/pseuds/sarangway
Summary: for the first time in years, donghyuck returns to korea and goes to high school to meet a delinquent that broadened his horizons.rated teen for language & some violence
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Mark Lee, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Markhyuck - Relationship
Comments: 8
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from the author that can't stop writing markhyuck high school fics

Blood was dripping down his nose, hitting the concrete and creating tiny splattered dots all over it. A hand moved to smear it from his upper lip, causing it to smudge across his cheek instead, a throaty chuckle making the situation even more alarming. That was if it was possible to be alarmed when it came to this boy. This was his usual attire – some sort of blood or bruising from another fight he just took on. The wink he shot at Donghyuck before jumping through the window to run off to the side gates of the school left him shaken up, but somehow his cheeks had reddened.

Donghyuck hadn’t been at this school for very long since his parents had just moved back to Korea from their extended American stay. His father was a significantly wealthy CEO for one of Korea’s top technological companies which led them to move back and forth often when he was younger. Though the kids of his father’s coworkers often stayed in Korea with their mothers, his father couldn’t bare to not see his wife or child for months at a time. Because of this, Donghyuck had moved to different private schools in America and Korea for his elementary and middle school days, making his English as impeccable as his Korean. This was normal for Donghyuck. This meant that being in a public high school for the first time was difficult enough and it didn’t help that seeing a very handsome boy all beat up and running away from a teacher was so far from the normal that Donghyuck had known.

However, this wasn’t the last he would see of this boy. Donghyuck seemed to watch him pop up in many places during his first week – firstly noticing that he was in his class and later realizing that he was also in the teacher’s offices a lot as well. Every time Donghyuck had gone in to talk to the homeroom teacher he saw him being scolded by a teacher while he was rubbing his neck shyly. His gaze would trail to him until his homeroom teacher asked him if he was paying attention. Embarrassed, he would nod and focus for a minute before his eyes would flicker back to him. The boy had left the office first and Donghyuck finished up soon after, walking out of the room to bump into the boy who was waiting directly outside of the door. He wore a grin and messy hair, the faded bruise on his jaw leaving Donghyuck more curious. “You’re new here, huh?”

Donghyuck nodded slowly, his fingers tapping nervously at the papers he was given by their homeroom teacher. “Well I’m Minhyung, Minhyung Lee. You can call me Mark though, that’s what everyone calls me.” Mark reached his hand out for Donghyuck to shake it, something that made him even more curious since that was such a western thing to do. “Ah, right, sorry. _I heard you speak English, am I right?_ ”

“ _Yeah, I do. I studied in America._ ” It took him a moment to realize that Mark had just spoken English to him as well. He switched back to Korean, “Why do you speak English?”

“I’m a pretty mysterious person as you might have noticed since you were staring at me so much earlier.” Donghyuck tried to protest but Mark just chuckled. “Not that I minded or anything. What’s your name?”

“Donghyuck, Lee Donghyuck. I don’t have any fancy nickname like you though-”

“Can I call you Hyuck? It just seems to fit you, cute and all.” Donghyuck would have loved to protest, but for some reason when he looked Mark in the eye he couldn’t find the courage to. “Great! Well, if you need anything we’re in the same class. Everyone in Room Seven is really nice, too. I’ll see you around, Hyuck!”

Before Donghyuck could say another word, he dashed off to catch up with some guy who had just exited his classroom. The beginning of his school year went rather smoothly despite this wild kid, his classes going well and making friends not being as difficult as it proved to be before. He already had a closer bunch – Jaemin, Jisung and Renjun being the ones he talked to the most. He had learned that they were very high achieving students and they had bonded over studying together and the light competition of seeing who would chart the highest in their class. Despite the fun he was having with them, there was still the daunting Minhyung Lee that he sat just a few desks away from. Donghyuck still couldn’t figure him out and decided to dig a bit more through his friends. The consensus was that he was a nice kid but not one to be close with since he was always picking fights. It wasn’t like he fought for no reason; he fought a lot of people for bullying others or disrespecting his friends. He was friendly to everyone still somehow, which left people to keep a good impression of him. Nonetheless he was still a least favorite for the disciplinary teachers which led people to avoid being near him while he’s up to something messy.

Somehow Donghyuck couldn’t escape him if he tried. Mark was constantly running up to him and asking how he was or checking up on him throughout the school day. His friends felt apprehensive about Donghyuck being around Mark since he was new and it wouldn’t help him in the eyes of his teachers, but it wasn’t like Donghyuck was seeking Mark out anyway.

“Donghyuck!”

Mark was hanging out of a window (thankfully on the first floor this time) and waving for him to come over from the garden. Jisung gave him a look but he ignored him to walk over. “What’s up?”

“I’m just bored, just got off of cleaning duty and wanted to see what you’re up to. Do you need help with that?” Donghyuck looked back at Jisung who was already getting help from Renjun and shook his head. “Oh, nice! I see you already made friends too.”

“Yup.” Mark was waving at a few girls that were passing with the kind grin he always wore, and Donghyuck noticed that there was a cut on his hand that seemed to still be fresh. If anyone asked why Donghyuck grabbed his hand right then, he would chalk it up to instinct. Instinct to protect Mark, for some reason. “You’re bleeding.”

“Oh, that? It’s nothing, I can just wash it-” He reached into his pocket and took out a bandage, wrapping it around Mark’s finger carefully. They fell silent, Donghyuck’s face slowly heating up when he realized how this must look to Mark. He let go of his hand and took a step back, averting his gaze to the tiny ant who was walking in circles on a leaf under the window. Mark blinked a few times before rotating his hand in every direction to examine his finger. “That’s cute. God, that’s cute.”

“I’m sorry.” Donghyuck hurriedly apologized but Mark couldn’t stop admiring the bandage, causing Donghyuck to be more embarrassed.

“I like it. Don’t apologize. I’m really grateful actually, I don’t think anyone’s ever given me a bandage before, other than my mom or the nurse. It’s really cute. Thank you.”

Despite still feeling shy, Donghyuck’s heart felt a bit warmer.

Days later, Donghyuck was heading home after school with Jaemin but forgot his jacket inside, leaving him to let Jaemin go ahead and head back into the classroom to find it. On the way back, he noticed that Mark was in another classroom next door, to which he ducked out of view (he couldn’t explain why he did). He had caught a glimpse of some other kids in the room with him, people he assumed were the boys Mark normally hung around: Chenle and Jeno. He hadn’t talked to them before but knew them as a lot rougher than Mark was, often picking fights just for the hell of it. They were talking loud enough that Donghyuck could understand, but it wasn’t anything interesting at first, just their classes and daily life. The subject took a turn when someone mentioned his name. They went silent for a second, making Donghyuck wonder if they were still there, until he heard Chenle talk again.

“You know it isn’t going to go over well when people realize how rich that kid is.”

“Doesn’t matter, no one’s going to touch him while I’m friends with him.” Mark’s sudden confidence surprised Donghyuck. He didn’t think he was in much danger here, but it seemed like Chenle and Jeno knew more than he did. “I fucking dare someone to, seriously, make my day, I’ve been bored lately.”

“Clearly it’s not about being bored, you haven’t taken that nasty bandage off since he gave it to you.” They chuckled at Mark. “Anyways, we’re just saying that you’re gonna have your hands full when people realize how loaded he is. I’d warn him or something.”

“I don’t want him to have a bad impression cause of a few assholes.”

“More like you don’t want him to _run away_ cause of a few assholes.” It went silent for a moment.

“I don’t want another…” Something was muttered under Mark’s breath. “…situation.”

“You can’t protect everyone.”

“I sure as hell can try.”

The conversation diverted and Donghyuck decided to leave after that, taking the other exit as to not pass in front of the classroom’s window and expose himself. He felt a bit anxious after hearing all of that, wondering why it was that Mark would go out of his way to help him if he didn’t even know him. And, besides, why did they know about his father’s profession if he hadn’t told anyone in school yet? It wasn’t like his identity was hidden per say, but his father wasn’t one to bring his family into the limelight either. He was worried what Chenle and Jeno had meant about things being bad for him and Mark if people caught on but there was a small twinkle of hope that maybe Mark _could_ protect him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm planning on making this a chaptered story but wanted to see how u guys feel about it first qwq !! it's been a while since i started a new markhyuck fic and it took me like 3 ideas to fall on this one hhh ;; let me know if u guys like it so far!! i also literally recorded an audiobook to find awkward wording and it's so BAD  
> talk to me on twt!! @[h_ndery](https://twitter.com/h_ndery)


	2. Chapter 2

“That kid’s filthy rich, fucking loaded, his dad works for Samsung.”

“Like I didn’t notice, all he does is flaunt his new phone and shit.”

Mark’s eyes shot to where the conversation was coming from, walking with the kid in question. He was close with Mark, having moved not too long ago and Mark befriending him like the extrovert he was. It was his freshman year at the time but he had gotten his way around school since so many people knew him from middle school. Despite Mark’s reputation he was still a good student and managed to get into a good high school, even currently on the track for college. It wasn’t an easy feat when it seemed the world was against him. His mom was out of the picture since he was young, and his father had been working diligently to support them, so it wasn’t like he was there either. Mark didn’t let this get to him though, and he sought out the attention from his peers and support from his teachers. The reason he was always fighting was not for himself but for others to feel safer and like someone was routing for them in dangerous situations. It brought a lot of tension between him and others, but he felt like as long as the underdogs were good, he was good.  
Things changed when he had befriended this boy, however. He wasn’t like the people Mark was close with at the time – he was more dignified, he was graceful, and he was rich. It wasn’t like these things were bad per say and it wasn’t as if there weren’t people like him at this school, but it was always out of Mark’s reach. It wasn’t somewhere he was meant to be. This kid was different though, he was apt and ready to reach out and connect with Mark despite their differences. It was strange for him; this was his connection to the people in his school that hadn’t been willing to talk to him before. He was everyone’s friend now – and he had this boy to thank.

Good things don’t last for long. Being the son of a high-up chairman at Samsung left him as an outsider to the lower-income students at the school (even with them being on the same playing field within the school walls). He had a target on him and was a ticking time bomb for things to get aggressive and though Mark realized this too late since he was still a bit naïve to the bad people in this school.

“Hey kid, you wanna donate some money to us since you’re always waving it in our faces?”

“Yeah, your dad’s out there making millions while mine is stuck slaving away at construction. You don’t feel any _shame_?” The boy ignored them, continuing to walk by them in the hallway until he was grabbed by the shoulder and yanked backwards. He knew that he wasn’t going to win this fight. “What, you aren’t going to say shit to us? Are we that lowly to you?”

Before the boy could say another word, he was punched square in the jaw, causing him to stumble backwards. Another swift punch to his nose caused a cracking noise that caught the attention of the classroom they were standing in front of, some kids rushing out to see what the commotion was. The boy’s nose started bleeding profusely and he became lightheaded as he stumbled back, another boy pushing him harder until he fell to the ground. The teacher of the classroom came out and tried to break it up, calling the other teachers in the hall for help. Mark’s classroom wasn’t far from where they were and he ran out too, his heart shattering when he came across the scene. He felt responsible for it since he hadn’t been there to protect him and when the boy looked up from the ground and made eye contact with him, he could see the seething anger.

He moved away after that.

This was something that was kept in the back of Mark’s mind since the event. Mark always felt like he was at fault for it despite him not having even started the fight. Maybe it was that he had frozen when he saw them standing over the boy with his blood on their hands. It might have been that the boy had stared at him while on the floor, Mark too far to even help him up. It felt metaphorical. Mark was so cynical after that.

Things hadn’t changed much for Mark between that day and the day he had met Donghyuck – except that now he felt ready to physically fight for people rather than just verbally. He had learned that it meant nothing to talk without action. Some people couldn’t be reasoned with easily. When he had met Donghyuck he felt a certain familiarity in him, something he chalked up to Donghyuck being a similar person to the boy. He took this as an opportunity given to him to make things right again and to prove himself to the boy that would never know he did.

-

“Hi, Mark.” Donghyuck acknowledged him first this time, approaching him while he was reading a text on his phone. Mark seemed surprised by this, a bright smile spreading across his face suddenly.

“Hyuck! What are you up to?” He tucked his phone back into his pocket, giving him his undivided attention. There was a bit of guilt that left Donghyuck to be hesitant after listening in on Mark’s conversation a few days ago. He didn’t want to be a bother on Mark and wanted to tell him that he was capable of taking care of himself, but it seemed like it was near impossible to say that without making Mark worry more. He wondered what it was that could have happened in the past to cause Mark to be hung up over this.

“Um, nothing really. Actually, did you want to get some food after school? I saw this ramen place that looked really good…” He asked this shyly and Mark felt his heartbeat skip when Donghyuck looked away after the suggestion. “I mean, you’re busy probably but-”

“Sure! Let’s eat together.” Donghyuck’s eyes quickly met Mark’s with surprise. He smiled, nodding, and running off to finish his last few classes of the day. Donghyuck wasn’t sure why he was excited to eat with Mark when it meant he had to admit to eavesdropping, but he was happy nonetheless. There was something about Mark’s unconditional kindness that Donghyuck admired. Though he had made friends with others quite easily, he felt like it was just cause of his ranking in class and hard work rather than just being friends because of his personality or being drawn to him naturally like Mark seemed to be.

They met at the gate at the end of the day and took the subway to the city together, talking the whole way there about meaningless things that still seemed interesting because of it being Mark. Talking to Mark felt easier than it did to talk to Jisung and the rest of them; he wasn't sure why since he seemed to have more in common with his other friends, but there is something really warm about mark that he felt drawn to. The ramen place was surprisingly packed when they had gotten there; Donghyuck hadn't realized that the place that he had chosen was so popular and Mark had actually eaten there before. They decided to look over the menu for a few minutes, Mark suggesting this and that before they decided to order two dishes that they both wanted and just share it between them. It was kind of strange to see mark in a different setting, albeit it still in their school uniform. He also found it very difficult to try to bring up the topic he was trying to talk about – especially since he felt even worse now that they were sitting together as friends…or he assumed they were friends now anyway. He wasn’t going to ask him or anything but eating together did probably mean something.

There was a lot that Donghyuck wanted to ask Mark, but it seemed like he was a bit hesitant to answer. The conversation always seemed to turn back to him, Mark wanting to get to know his past better from before he had come back to Korea. He didn't mind answering all of the questions , but he did feel more guilty as the time passed since he wasn't being entirely honest with mark. After they had gotten halfway through with their dinner, Donghyuck decided to bring it up.

“I wanted to apologize for something.” Mark looked up from the radish he was picking up with his chopsticks, bewildered at the idea. “I heard you talking with your friends the other day…talking about me anyway. I didn’t hear much after that, I left after the subject changed.”

“Ah, I see.” Mark’s smile seemed dimmer than his usual one. “You heard all of it, then?”

“I wasn’t really planning to listen in or anything, I just wanted to walk by that classroom but I felt shy to when I noticed you were in there…and then I heard my name come up so I was curious. I shouldn’t have listened in though, I’m sorry.” Donghyuck said all of this in one breath, feeling a weight be lifted off his chest after coming clean. Mark didn’t seem as bothered as Donghyuck had excepted.

“Thank you for telling me. I don’t think its too big of a deal though, we’ve all done it, right?” Mark placed a piece of meat in Donghyuck’s rice bowl, his smile softening. “I supposed you’ve been anxious about what you heard.”

Donghyuck ate the meat and nodded a bit before changing his mind and shaking his head. “I’m not really anxious as much as I feel bad. I don’t want you to feel like you have to protect me or anything. You’re always fighting for people but that can take a toll on you if no one’s fighting for you too.”

Mark was stricken by that comment. Was anyone fighting for him? When everything had happened with the boy before, no one was supportive to Mark. Even now, he had friends like Chenle and Jeno but they were really just people he hung out with occasionally. “I guess it comes down to understanding how it feels to want what you can’t have and not wanting others to feel like that.” Mark took a sip of his water and thought for a moment. “Even if no one is fighting for me it’s enough to know that I helped someone in a way that will be memorable. I don’t want regrets in the future.”

“Still, you shouldn’t extend yourself so much for someone who won’t do it back.”

“Would you help me if I needed it?” Donghyuck nodded without hesitation and Mark chuckled. “Then I guess I’m allowed to help you.”

Donghyuck decided not to argue against it. Whatever Mark had gone through in the past wasn’t something that Donghyuck could help him with – he could only be there for him in the future he supposed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi friends AHHH i haven't written somethin so ... gritty? in a while. i guess this is gonna be a slow burn hahaha.....  
> talk to me on twt!! @[h_ndery](https://twitter.com/h_ndery)


	3. Chapter 3

Getting closer to Mark was inevitable after he had learned more about him, and they were practically inseparable now. Donghyuck still had a worry in the back of his mind about Mark but he didn’t bring it up when he was with him. He wasn’t worried for his own safety, he was more worried that Mark wasn’t taking care of himself.

His caution for himself was quickly ignited by Mark when his dad had sent a car to pick him up from school, however.

It was his grandmother’s birthday this weekend, so the car was to pick him up and take him to the train station where he would meet his parents so they could head out to the country without any time constraints. When he had walked out of the gate with Jisung to head to the subway station, the driver called him over instead. His other classmates were watching him carefully, from when he had walked over to when he had gotten into the car and driven off. The target that Mark had wanted him to carefully avoid was set.

The changes around him were gradual at first – he had only noticed when a classmate mentioned the car suddenly. He tried to explain it in a nonchalant way, but the people around him seemed like shadowed figures who pushed themselves away from him. It was a strange feeling for Donghyuck since every school he had gone to before had been full of people just like him. He wasn’t used to being outcast. Mark had become frustrated after he realized people had caught on to Donghyuck and hung around him a lot more than usual now. Still, Donghyuck wasn’t as careful as Mark had hoped.

“Hey, Donghyuck!” He turned to where the voice was coming from and saw a few boys standing nearby. He had gone into the hallway to look for Mark and felt a bit annoyed to be distracted. “You busy?”

“Yeah, he’s probably running around to find his great savior.” They laughed to themselves. “Mark Lee, savior of the rich, hoping to find a penny on the ground for him.”

Despite knowing he’d be scolded for this later on, he marched over to them with a fierceness that was entirely inappropriate considering these boys wouldn’t have any problem with hitting him. “Take that back.”

“Or what, you’re gonna call Mark? You can’t do shit without-”

Donghyuck grabbed the boy’s collar and yanked him closer, his friends shocked at the unexpected courage. “I _said_ ,” He gripped the collar more and narrowed his eyes. “Take that back.”

“Okay! Sorry, whatever.”

Donghyuck let go and stormed off to find Mark once again, the boys left to mutter that he was a psycho for doing that so suddenly. When Donghyuck had finally found Mark, he felt his hands shaking and his breath was unsteady. He was strong in the face of confrontation, but he couldn’t hide his fear when his anger had gone away. Mark’s hands moved to grab Donghyuck’s to try to calm him down and get him to explain what happened. It wasn’t surprising that after he did, Mark ran to kick their asses. He couldn’t walk to the subway with Donghyuck that day since he was stuck cleaning the classroom as a punishment.

Somehow, the roles had reversed over time. Donghyuck’s fiery temper was ignited when it came to Mark, and Mark’s desperation to protect him was somehow unneeded. Donghyuck could hold his own so far, despite the taunting he was receiving from the troublemaker students. Mark felt like his world was turned upside down after meeting Donghyuck. Everything he had previously thought about people was proven wrong. Either way, Donghyuck’s persistence was endearing.

“Sorry. You got in a fight because of me again, right?” Donghyuck was wiping Mark’s cheek with a cotton ball, trying to apply medicine to the cut he had gained. For someone with such a flawless face, he should be more careful of not messing it up. “I can’t help but yell at people when they speak badly about you. I tried not to say anything but they know how to get on my nerves!”

Mark couldn’t be mad at Donghyuck anyway, “It’s not your fault, it’s on me for being rash.”

“I mean, I did tell you not to always fight for me.”

“I could say the same thing to you!” Donghyuck’s cheeks puffed out at Mark’s retort, pressing the cotton ball a little harder until Mark flinched back. “Hey, that stings!”

“Ah, sorry. Let me put the bandage on.” Donghyuck smiled when Mark stuck his tongue out at him. “Anyways, you shouldn’t be fighting so much. Do you want unnecessary attention from everyone?”

“I only want attention from you.”

Donghyuck’s eyes widened but he brushed it off as he leaned in to smooth the bandage out. “What are you saying…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi friends T_T ive been loving all the mh content lately ,, sorry this is so short!! i wanted to post it but couldn't write anymore heh  
> talk to me on twt!! @[h_ndery](https://twitter.com/h_ndery)


	4. Chapter 4

His knuckles were bruised, a busted lip looking out of place on Mark’s face. He was in the heat of his fight now, the boy pinned under him as he dodged the punch that snuck through when his arm managed to get out of Mark’s grip. He was seeing red at that point, and this boy was lucky they were fighting on the grass or Mark was sure his blinded rage would cause more damage. 

It had been a while since Mark had gotten so heated over something, especially in a fight, but he had found himself calling the last straw when he had come to school that morning. 

Upon checking Donghyuck’s classroom to see if he had gotten to school already, he was met with a dead silent room where every student was focused on Donghyuck. He still had his bookbag on his shoulder and was focusing his gaze on his desk below him while tears were dripping down silently. Mark felt his blood run cold at the sight, his hands shaking as he stepped in to see what had made Donghyuck upset – only to be met with words scribbled on Donghyuck’s desk in sharpie. The words were all horrible, harsh, derogatory things that made Mark’s blood boil as he read them. He took out the hand-sanitizer from his bag and tried removing the sharpie with his sleeve, the ink seeping into the white fabric until Donghyuck’s hand rested on Mark’s arm to tell him to stop. Everyone was staring at them now. 

“It’s okay. Just go to class. It’s going to start soon." Donghyuck’s voice sounded hollow as he slid into his seat and put his bookbag on the hook next to him, slowly unpacking as if time was moving at half-speed. 

After seeing that, Mark skipped his class to find who could have done this. He didn’t care about the consequences at that point and when he found a group of boys that had bullied Donghyuck before smoking behind the school, he made his move and dragged the main culprit to the ground and proceeded to punch him square in the jaw. The two other boys ran off since they knew they couldn’t fight against Mark but at least could grab a teacher to break up the fight for them. While the time was running out before Mark was caught by the teacher, he was flipped over by the boy and Mark kicked him in the stomach to get him off. Right before he slammed into him again, their disciplinary teacher tore them apart and they were both taken to the principle's office and were suspended for the following week. 

Mark had been close to explosion only once before and had fallen back into shape after his father had scolded him for it. However, this time around his father was far too busy in the daytime to notice that Mark was home anyway. 

Donghyuck, on the other hand, noticed that he wasn’t at school. It had truly become them against the world at their school and even now his prior friends didn’t talk to him much after he had become close with Mark. The ridicule he had faced hadn’t helped him but it was paused now that there had been action taken against the main kid. It wasn’t like he couldn’t have had this all end quickly if he had mentioned the incident to his father, but he hated using his status to his advantage since he never had to before. He would handle things himself, like his father always did. 

Despite his struggle to appear independent, he was still grateful towards Mark for his selflessness in fighting for him. He had gathered the lesson materials from Mark’s homeroom teacher and made his way to Mark’s house after school. Now he stood in front of the apartment door, cicadas chirping in the background as the heat nearly overtook him until he knocked on the door cautiously. He heard shuffling inside and there was a pause in the noise, so he knocked a second time. The door was whipped open and Donghyuck was met with Mark leaning in the doorway wearing a tank top and jeans. His hands were wrapped tightly in bandages and he had a bruise on his browbone, but as usual Mark outshone that. 

“Hi." It came out breathless. 

“Hey." Mark’s smile was warm and Donghyuck wished he could just hug- 

Mark had the same thought and enveloped him into a hug that left Donghyuck weak in the knees as he leaned in to it. “Why did you get suspended? You didn’t need to fight him for me, I would have handled it myself." 

Mark pulled back and stepped out of the apartment, closing the door behind him and sitting on the ground, Donghyuck sliding down to sit next to him and handing him his papers. “You know I couldn’t let them hurt you. Besides, my dad hasn’t found out yet so I’m fine." 

“You’re not fine." Donghyuck gestured at his hands. “That looks painful." 

“I’ve just been icing it, it’s alright, don’t worry about me." Mark smiled again and Donghyuck felt a bit more at ease. “How are you, though? Are you still being bothered?" 

Truthfully, everyone was a bit scared of Donghyuck after that. They knew of Mark’s fighting obviously but hadn’t realized the extent he would go to since it was so different from that first boy. He noticed that those he had befriended before wouldn’t look him in the eyes now and the boys that had bullied him before came to apologize to Donghyuck for anything they had said. It felt a bit awkward for him. 

Donghyuck lingered to talk to Mark for a bit longer until the sunlight was dwindling and he knew his parents would be mad if he got home late, so they got up to part ways and stared at each other awkwardly, unsure as to how they should say goodbye. Mark pulled him into another hug without any words shared between them at first, the cicadas drowned out by their heartbeats and breathing, and Donghyuck wished he could have paused the time. Unfortunately, they did have to pull apart eventually. 

\-- 

“Donghyuck, are you busy?" His mother peaked into his room and Donghyuck removed his headphones, shaking his head. “Come into the living room." 

He knew that being asked to come into the living room often meant that his parents wanted to tell him something important and somehow he felt like it wasn’t going to be something he enjoyed. When he sat down and his parents looked at each other with a worried look, he was correct. 

“Donghyuck..." His father started and looked at his mother again. “You know, we move around a lot and all. I was asked to relocate again but wanted to check with your school how you were doing before I made the decision and...well...” 

“Are you having a hard time at school, honey?" His mother interrupted; her eyebrows furrowed. Donghyuck was apprehensive. 

“Why do you ask?" 

“Your homeroom teacher told us that some boys at school are bullying you. You know that you can tell us about things like that, right? We can always change schools for you if this one doesn’t suit you well. We know it’s been a difficult transition and all..." 

“Your teacher and principle requested for us to come in and talk to them tomorrow. After we talk to them we’ll figure out how to move you in a way that won’t affect your studies.” 

He hated himself in that moment for not being able to make out any words, his throat restricting as he watched his parents pat his shoulder and dismiss themselves to make dinner. He wanted to deny that it was too much and tell his parents that for once, he didn’t want to change schools. That for once, he had something to look forward to when he went to class or ate at lunch. But the ingrained idea that he shouldn’t cause too much trouble or stress for his parents since they provided to much for him. It wasn’t like saying he’d like to stay at his school was an inconvenience to his parents but he didn’t want to worry them further. Once he made his way back to his room, however, he found himself trying to hold back tears when thinking about not being at school with Mark anymore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well...hello...it's been a while,,,, hopefully this didnt give 2 much Pain  
> come talk to me on twt!! @[h_ndery](https://twitter.com/h_ndery)


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